Snappy's First Comfort Grip Ratchet?????

[oldjacks]

Thought I would chime in on Comfort Grip Handles for ratchets and who may have been the first to make one. This Snap-On Ratchet pictured is dated 1937 and it has a rubber grip handle that indeed is very comfortable to hold. Part# is 71-15-R no mystery here Series 71 ratchet 15" long and R for Rubber Grip. If anyone out there has additional info in this direction I would like to hear from them. Is it possible that this may be the first comfort grip handle ever put on a ratchet?

To elaborate a bit more on this I had a friend who was a Snap-On Dealer in the late 60's and through the 70's and as he relates to me he had an idea to put screwdriver handles on ratchets. He took a 1/4" drive ratchet had a machinist turn the handle down and he put a screwdriver handle on it. He then proceeded to try and convince Snap-On to get on the bandwagon and give this style of ratchet a try.

Unfortunately, they rejected his idea at the time and did not act on it. Later he lost his franchise with Snap-On and of course we all know what happened then at some point in the future Snap-On came out with plastic handled ratchets. My friend gave me this ratchet he made up because he knew that I collected tools. Here is an image of the ratchet:

I would be interested to know when Snap-On started offering this style of handle so I might draw some conclusions to the story my friend had related to me. The particular ratchet my friend used is date coded 1977.

 

[MattT]

My oldest factory hard handled Snappy ratchet is a F735 with a 1985 date code.

Slightly OT but may have some bearing on when these things were introduced. 1981 MAC catalog only shows a standard length 3/8" hard handle ratchet. Std and long flex and a long flex bent handle added by 1985. 3/8" long and 1/2" Std length introduced by 1988. If MAC rolled out the hard handle ratchets thru' the '80's Snap-on probably followed a similar timeline give or take a year.

 

[johnnybentwrench]

Pretty sweet oldjacks

 

[mrholeshot]

Snap-On had some hard (screwdriver type) handles at least since I've been buying Snap-On (very early 70's). My first one was a 1/4 drive ratchet circa around 1972. I think the 71-15R was just a rubber dip

 

[billymade]

Wow, never seen one like that before! You should contact the guys @ collectingsnapon.com and alloyartifacts so they can add that to the site! Snapmom, hello?!

 

[snapmom]

Snap on had a torq wrench with that style of handle, A rubber coating over the metal handle. Have not seen it on a reg. rat.

 

[mrholeshot]

I looked in the 1970 catalog that Epstiens has on line. In there is a hard handle 3/8 ratchet

 

[mrholeshot]

Snap on had a torq wrench with that style of handle, A rubber coating over the metal handle. Have not seen it on a reg. rat.

Is that was the R designation was for?

 

[oldjacks]

I think the 71-15R was just a rubber dip

Well, not quite after I got through posting this thread the ratchet dropped off my desk and the rubber both being hard and brittle broke off the end when it hit the floor. As you would imagine I was rather upset about that but I was able to look and the handle underneath the rubber grip. It is very small in diameter and very heavily knurled much more than a regular ratchet. Which would make this a special run in order to make this model.

I started a repair on the handle later that day as I just couldn't bear looking at that broken handle. I will have to fill it out a bit with that rubber dip stuff that they sell for pliers and what not it should be good to go again soon.

 

[wrenchr]

Well, not quite after I got through posting this thread the ratchet dropped off my desk and the rubber both being hard and brittle broke off the end when it hit the floor. As you would imagine I was rather upset about that but I was able to look and the handle underneath the rubber grip. It is very small in diameter and very heavily knurled much more than a regular ratchet. Which would make this a special run in order to make this model.

I started a repair on the handle later that day as I just couldn't bear looking at that broken handle. I will have to fill it out a bit with that rubber dip stuff that they sell for pliers and what not it should be good to go again soon.

Those shoes are sharp, and I do not mean fashionable!!!!!!!!

 

[oldjacks]

Those shoes are sharp, and I do not mean fashionable!!!!!!!!

Those were quite the trick at the turn of the Century now more than 100 years old. It was called a needle toe and lasted up until about the 1920's in various forms it was a favorite of some of the early gangsters.

Hey, fashions come and go if I could wear them I would but they are way too small so only good for looking.

 

[mrholeshot]

Those shoes are sharp, and I do not mean fashionable!!!!!!!!

Watch out, I have a pair just like them in 13 EEEEE

 

[mrholeshot]

Well, not quite after I got through posting this thread the ratchet dropped off my desk and the rubber both being hard and brittle broke off the end when it hit the floor. As you would imagine I was rather upset about that but I was able to look and the handle underneath the rubber grip. It is very small in diameter and very heavily knurled much more than a regular ratchet. Which would make this a special run in order to make this model.

I started a repair on the handle later that day as I just couldn't bear looking at that broken handle. I will have to fill it out a bit with that rubber dip stuff that they sell for pliers and what not it should be good to go again soon.

Wow sorry to hear that happened. When stuff like that happens to me I think to myself. All these years and this **** happened while it was in my hands